Jane Evans Bonacci The Heritage Cook

WELCOME to The Heritage Cook ... we're sharing traditions, one recipe at a time! I learned to cook at my grandmother’s side, watching her create nourishing meals for the family. I love to share the lessons she taught me. I am a recipe editor, developer and tester, a food writer, passionate cook, and baker. Subscribe to the blog and never miss a recipe or the fun of Chocolate Mondays! Creating, exploring, sharing, nurturing ... that is what I love about cooking!

Some comments made by readers …

... Woo hoo! Mondays just got a whole lot better now that you’re featuring chocolate in some shape or form each week. It’s my favorite food group, after all...

... We prepared the “Fathers Day Brunch” on Sunday. It was a big hit! I was amazed at the light and very tasty pancakes. It looks like your recipes are going to keep me busy!...

... The [Chocolate Crinkle] cookies look beautiful. First bite brings a sensational experience to the pallet. Slightly crunchy exterior at first, then the moist interior with a burst of chocolate flavor through out my mouth. The flavors lingers long enough that I feel I must have another bite to experience it all again...

... This chicken is delicious. So tender, even the breast meat, with a hint of onion and lemon. Definitely a keeper...

... Just had my first bite and WOW! I think this is the best homemade brownie i have ever tasted. Great chocolate flavor with the right amount of sweetness. And the fudgy consistency is perfect! ...

... LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the glossary. I’ve “heard” these terms but never have I seen them in print. Keep ‘em coming! ...

... I made this pasta sauce this past weekend...what can I say, it was delicious! I added fresh zuchinni and eggplant for a vegetarian style meal like you suggested. Topping the pasta dish with fresh basil from my "Swiss" herb garden made the sauce perfect! ...

Favorite Publications

Did you know that today is Bastille Day in France? Similar to our Fourth of July, it is a celebration of the storming of the Bastille fortress/prison in 1789, a symbolic event of the French Revolution. These days the President of France presides at a parade on the Champs-Elysees avenue in Paris. It may have started as a battle, but it is one heck of a party today!

James and I are going to celebrate (we look for any excuse, you know) by having a French food-filled day. While watching the Tour de France cycling race (James waits all year for the Tour!), we’re having an omelet for breakfast, lunch will be a grilled ham and cheese sandwich (known in French as a Croque Monsieur!), Coq au Vin for dinner, and we’ll top it all off with a nectarine and cherry galette for dessert! Ooh, la, la, baby! It will be a lip-smacking kind of day!

If you are hosting a barbecue for friends or having a quiet dinner with your family, here are some recipes that are guaranteed to please everyone! I like to take advantage of the grill when I’m cooking, and make a combination of foods so my guests have choices. Some of my favorites are lemon-thyme chicken, marinated flank steak, and Italian sausages. If there are children coming add hamburgers or hot dogs to the menu. Marinating helps keep meats juicy and tender. The simplest marinade of all is Italian salad dressing! Place your meats in a plastic bag, pour in some dressing and refrigerate for 30 to 60 minutes. That’s it – the easiest and tastiest food you’ve ever barbecued!

Grilled fruits and vegetables are excellent paired with meats. My favorites are pineapple, corn on the cob, onions, and peaches or nectarines. Halve or cut into thick slices, brush both sides with vegetable oil and grill until lightly browned. Watch out, they can burn easily because of the natural sugars. Shuck the corn, discarding the husks and silks. Place the raw corn directly on the oiled grill and cook for a few minutes or until lightly charred. Serve with melted butter.

The Championships at Wimbledon tennis tournament started this week and I anxiously look forward to it every year. It has an innate graciousness and elegance and is the “Grand Dame” of the four major tournaments. It is held in the beautiful town of Wimbledon, England and “Breakfast at Wimbledon” is an annual event. It got me thinking about English foods … so in honor of our friends across the pond, I thought I would feature traditional British favorites this week! Haute cuisine isn’t the first thing that comes to mind when you think of English food, it is better known more for Pub Grub. But you may be surprised how delicious some of their common dishes are and they may become new favorites for you and your family.

When the weather heats up I start looking for ways to prepare dinner without heating up the kitchen. My mind wanders to picnics and barbecues with images of friends laughing, sounds of kids playing, and sultry, balmy nights. Salads are always a good choice when the heat takes away your appetite and all you can think about is jumping in a cold pool of water to cool off.

Fresh fruits and vegetables from the farmer’s market, prepared ingredients I can buy from the store, pastas and other items that can be served cold are at the top of my list. When you think of pasta salad do you think of sweetened macaroni and mayonnaise? Corkscrew pasta with vegetables? Penne with Italian antipasti? Noodles with Asian vegetables? Pasta is endlessly adaptable – I can toss in any vegetables I have in the refrigerator, change up the sauce and have a whole new meal!

You can never have too many chicken recipes – or at least that’s what I think. And I guess there are a lot of people who would agree. There are more chicken recipes on the web than anything else. It is the perfect meal for a family, inexpensive, easy to digest, and full of protein. Finding creative ways to cook it can be a lifetime hobby for many.

What should I make for dinner? The question we ask ourselves all the time. Why is it usually such a major decision? I start with ingredients … let’s see what I have to work with. I went to the grocery store yesterday, so the refrigerator is stocked, and I know I have a whole chicken to work with. Ah, that will make the house smell wonderful and be welcoming when my husband comes home from work.

There are so many ways to cook chicken. I can cut it apart and make a stew. I can butterfly it and grill it. Or I can leave it whole and have leftovers to use tomorrow. Yep, that’s what I’ll do! The ease of roasting a chicken and the beauty of the golden brown crispy skin is calling to me today.

I struggled for years trying to figure out what the secret was to the perfect roast chicken. Sometimes it was underdone, but most of the time, even though it looked perfect, it was dry and tough. Arrrggghhh!